Blog

December 11, 2017

Shopping around to find the best price is what most of us do every day. Whether we’re buying groceries for the family or buying a new car, our budget-conscious selves are almost always looking for the best value for our money.

But when it comes to your employee group benefits plan, is shopping your rates the most effective way to pay less?

The answer isn’t a straightforward yes or no. Shopping your plan has its advantages, but only if you do so for the right reasons. Changing carriers is a labour-intensive process and an administrative burden, so it’s only advantageous when it’s done at the right time.

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December 11, 2017

We live in a time where “company culture” is a factor millennials weigh heavily when ultimately deciding between company A and company B. In light of recent events, stumbling upon the topic of sexual harassment doesn’t fall too far from the topic of workplace culture. Is it happening here? Where? Is something being done about it?

The rippling effect of the Ghomeshi case and Weinstein allegations, has drawn the attention of millions towards the magnitude of a long, ongoing problem. As people look for answers, the Canadian Federal Government has introduced legislation that aims to eliminate sexual harassment in the workplace, Bill C-65.

What is Bill C-65?

This legislation is drawn from Bill 132, The Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act,…

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December 11, 2017

It is conventional wisdom that the job market slows down in the summer and December holiday season. But like most conventional wisdom, be careful who you listen to!

It may be true that actual hiring decisions and offers slow down, as decision makers are away, often at different times. But the activity around a job search – specifically, meeting and networking – does not have to slow down, and may in fact get easier.

Those people who are working through the holidays likely have fewer of their regularly-scheduled meetings happening. With colleagues away, there are less demands on their time. So they might just be in the mood for a relaxed conversation! How will you know if you don’t ask?

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December 11, 2017

A prudent employer will use a reference check as a key component to any job competition process. Unfortunately, an employer often receives unhelpful or misleading information as a result of the referee`s fear of being sued for providing a negative reference.

However, as two recent decisions from Ontario’s Superior Court have shown, a former employer will not be liable for a negative reference if the content is true and made without malice.

In Papp v Stokes, 2017 ONSC 2357, after interviewing Adam Papp, the Yukon government called Ernest Stokes, Papp’s former employer, for a reference. Stokes said Papp was let go because “he was not needed anymore and had a performance and attitude issue”. Stokes also said there was “no way”…

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November 15, 2017

The “it’s not my job: attitude can be so prevalent in the workplace. It isn’t the mindset of a team player. It’s simply the mindset of someone who is doing the minimum required of them to collect a paycheck. This career-limiting habit refers to the overall mindset of people who resist taking on additional work when it’s truly needed for the company’s success. There are times when we’re asked to step out of our day-to-day job functions to support others, that’s what it means to be on a team.

Let’s look at the phrase “it’s not my job” in a new light. This statement would be a positive start to a sentence, if we all worked in an environment that…

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November 15, 2017

There are many similar conversations in the media that have been focused on the Millennial Generation; who are now officially the largest generation in the Canadian workforce. Much of this conversation is centered around their attitudes, values and what companies are doing to attract this young talent to their companies.

Individuals outside of the Millennial age group have made careers informing companies what they believe that Millennials want, and why. Instead of listening to third parties and their ideas about what attracts these young professionals to companies and how to keep their loyalty, Ellington reached out to three Millennials for their feedback and input. Below are the three most impactful insights from that discussion:

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November 15, 2017

You know when someone is “personality plus”. It’s not all about having an impressive resume, it’s also about having a good, positive attitude and energy in the interview, having confidence in your skills and abilities, communicating your experience effectively and having good work-related examples to support what you’re saying.

Meeting a candidate with the right skill set and experience is obviously important, but at the same time many seem to forget that skills can be learned and experience can be gained. A client may want XYZ but a candidate with XY and an upbeat personality can still land the role based…

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November 15, 2017

Is it better for a Hiring Manager to have multiple sources/partners working on a Search?

When you have more than one source, you’re only getting a fraction of the effort from each. An exclusive arrangement is in the Hiring Manager’s best interest. The Hiring Manager is getting the recruiter’s full commitment to filling their vacancy.

A Hiring Manager may think they’re getting more effort from a recruiter when the role is in competition, but what really happens is our interest fades as we realize the Hiring Manager isn’t committed, and we go and put our energy and efforts into Hiring Managers who will work with us as partners.

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November 15, 2017

That is the title of a book from the successful series of instructional/reference books, that includes such classics as ‘Excel for Dummies’, ‘Accounting for Dummies’, ‘Plumbing for Dummies’, ‘Self Defense for Dummies’ and even ‘Medical Ethics for Dummies’ (as scary as it sounds, yes that one really exists).

Through the years I’ve come across quite a few people that assume modern day Recruiting is a simple task that can be done by using technology; searching on LinkedIn or Indeed, finding people that can do a certain type of job. Hiring Managers who focus on the Financial, Operational or Revenue Generating parts of a business, and even HR professionals who, despite being more familiar with the trials & tribulations of attracting…

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October 12, 2017

Most people don’t like Recruiters, how do you deal with that every day?

I do hear that a lot; it seems to be trending these days. It gives me a bit of a thrill to have the opportunity to set our firm apart from the rest.

Whenever anyone expresses disdain for Agencies or Recruiters my antenna goes up. I want to know what their experience has been, and I want to know what other Agencies are doing to make people feel this way.

I hear “I met with the Recruiter and then never heard back…” or just a lack of follow up after being engaged in client interview process.

For me it’s all about relationships. I do my part to provide Candidates with…

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October 12, 2017

Why do companies pay for the Services of an external Staffing Partner (individual, firm, agency, etc.)? Couldn’t they find the people themselves on LinkedIn or Indeed, or just have HR to do it?

You could rely on HR or use LinkedIn (and other job boards), however the reason Hiring Managers use our Services (or the services of other specialty firms) is because of the caliber of Candidates we have access to.
When you rely on Job Boards or Networking platforms, you’ll typically mostly find the active job seekers; whereas because of our relationships (and the time/money/resources we’ve invested over the years) we can tap into a ‘hidden market’ talent pool of passive Candidates.

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October 11, 2017

The benefit plan you offer employees is a crucial addition to your employee compensation package. For most businesses, it is a necessary offering for attracting and retaining employees.

But a great benefits plan is only great if your employees understand it, know how to effectively use it and appreciate its value. If employees feel confused or overwhelmed because they don’t understand the healthcare and related industry terminology, for example, they will overlook benefits available to them and lose an appreciation of the value it offers.

Developing an effective year-round benefits communications strategy helps ensure that employees understand their options and have the information they need to make educated choices. This in turn means employees develop a deeper appreciation for the…

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October 11, 2017

What’s the biggest incentive you can offer a millennial to come work for you instead of your competition? If you answered more money”, you need to rethink your strategy. For the generation that will soon become the majority of the Canadian workforce, they value other aspects of their career rather than a bigger pay-cheque.

Millennials are tech-savvy, innovative, and have ambitious desires that some businesses may not be used to. As baby boomers retire and millennials replace them, an understanding of what the millennial generation wants in a job is essential to attracting, landing and retaining quality talent.

Work-Life Balance:

Today’s high-performing companies implement flexibility into their corporate culture. They give employees the opportunity to set their own schedules as long as…

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October 11, 2017

Leases are complex documents with many clauses that, unless negotiated properly, can allow your landlord to charge you more rent during your lease term. The following is an example of such a clause and how to negotiate it upfront to avoid unexpected costs:

THE MEASUREMENT CLAUSE: In North America, the most common standard of measuring commercial space is the Building Owners and Managers Association standard (“BOMA”). This measurement standard has been revised over the years, and with BOMA being a “landlord centric”
organization, each revision becomes less tenant friendly. In the simplest terms, the most tenant friendly version is the 1980 BOMA standard which is now rarely used. The most common version is the 1996 BOMA standard. BOMA recently introduced the…

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September 13, 2017

Students are always on the lookout for work experience. They seek out internships and skill-building opportunities in an attempt to broaden their horizon and expand their knowledge. You may be interested in hiring interns, but aren’t sure if they’re a better choice than some of your other options, like hiring a part-time or temporary employee. Contrary to the belief that hiring interns is just for the bigger companies, smaller and startup companies can really benefit from hiring interns, here’s why:

Fresh Ideas and Vision

When you hire an intern, they bring new ideas to the table. They will bring a fresh perspective into your business. These young, talented individuals are vibrant, eager to learn, and ready to bring in fresh and…